


Flavor of Love

by greenikat89



Series: Flavor of Love [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Ice Cream Parlors, M/M, Romance, teen squall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 19:51:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8814094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenikat89/pseuds/greenikat89
Summary: Cloud hated working on Mondays at AVALANCHE ice cream. No one ever came in and Zack always sang along to the latest pop tunes in the back. But then the love of Cloud's life walks in and all is right with the world. Too bad he didn't get the brunet's name.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally written from 2008 - 2010 that I'm just transferring over here from ff.net so all my stories can be in one place.

 

Cloud Strife wanted to kill his best friend Zack Fair. The elder man was singing along to a pop song over the radio as he washed dishes. Unfortunately the blond couldn't, as the man was also his employer, and the owner of, AVALANCHE Ice Cream. Why his friend had decided the first name should be capitalized like that was a mystery to Cloud, but Zack had insisted it caught the customer's eye and dragged them in. Privately, the blond thought the neon colors the small store was painted in and the tacky little knick-knacks adorning the shelves on the wall did a fine job of that. He had never seen so many stuffed Chocobos in his life until he'd stepped foot into the local shop.

"Hey spiky, what's got you so down?" Zack asked cheerfully as he slung an arm around the blond's shoulders.

Suds got in his hair and Cloud sighed as he shook them out. "Zack, why am I here today? No one comes in on a Monday morning for ice cream." He leaned against the old fashioned cash register, making sure not to poke his eye out with the 'Sale' tag sticking out the top.

Zack swayed to the music, a silly grin plastered on his face as he slung the dishtowel over his shoulder. "Please, Monday mornings are my busiest time." A raised eyebrow met his statement and Zack shrugged. "Okay, maybe not today, but still. Who couldn't resist the lure of delicious homemade ice cream? The kids love it."

"The 'kids' are at school," Cloud pointed out and he flicked his gaze towards the clock. "We have five hours of dead time to watch the paint dry on the walls until Hollow Bastion High gets outs." Teenagers were their biggest market and Zack's store was one of the hot spots for them to hang out. Cloud didn't really mind. They made good money and he got to see the twins Roxas and Sora on a semi-regular basis. They used to be his next-door neighbors and he babysat for them when they were younger.

Zack hopped up to sit on the counter next to Cloud, almost over tipping the glass tip jar. "You could study."

Cloud nodded absently in agreement. He had attended Jenova University to major in engineering three years ago but hadn't finished. Looking after his ailing mother had come first and he'd made frequent trips back to his hometown to take care of her. When she had passed away, he couldn't afford tuition anymore and had dropped out in his senior year, coming back to Radiant Garden and doing the odd job to get around. He'd run into his childhood friend Zack who had offered him a job at the ice cream store he owned, and Cloud was using the money to attend some classes Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to finish his degree.

"Or what about the older crowd that will come through those frosted doors?" Zack continued, propping his chin on his palm. "Think about it Cloudy; the door slowly opens with a tinkle of bells and the most gorgeous brunette walks through. They'll have wide innocent eyes, a lithe body, pale skin, long legs and a megawatt smile that'll knock you off your feet. It'll be love at first sight, your eyes will meet and the sexual tension would be enough to kill an elephant." The man sighed with a sappy grin on his face while he toyed with the change jar.

Cloud snorted in amusement. "Are you sure you're not talking about Aerith?" the man asked, referring to Zack's wife. She was a kindergarten schoolteacher in the town and Zack was head over heels in love with her since he'd seen her pruning roses in her backyard ten years ago.

"Course not, she's lacking the necessary equipment that's to your liking," Zack teased. "I always knew little Cloudy was batting for the same team when he could resist my Aeri's charms." He grabbed Cloud around the neck and playfully ruffled blond spikes.

Cloud shoved Zack off the counter with an amused grin. "Right, Zack," he said sarcastically. "Why don't you go back to washing dishes now and let me work in peace?"

"Mark my words, it'll happen," Zack proclaimed as he headed towards the back. He turned up the dial on the radio as he went by and started screeching along to the tune.

The blond huffed and leaned his forearms against the marble counter. Right, as if the person he'd been looking for all his life was going to walk right-

The bells above the door tinkled and Cloud looked up, instantly feeling as if his whole world was yanked out from under him at the person who had just walked in. Inwardly, Cloud knew Zack was laughing at him but the blond didn't care at the gorgeous brunet who was looking around the shop. "Hello, I'm Cloud. Is there something I can help you with?" Cloud asked with a slight purr to his voice that he couldn't quite keep out.

The young man blushed and ducked his head. "Ah, no. I've just never come here before. I'm new in town."

No wonder Cloud had never seen the male walking around town before. If he had, the man would have definitely snatched up the innocent kitten. He was cute, and Cloud wanted to run his hands through choppy brown hair that fell into large stormy blue/gray eyes. And that ass encased in those tight leather pants, it just begged to be grabbed and fondled and fucked.

The blond cleared his throat, thankful that he was standing behind the counter so the brunet wouldn't see his growing problem. "Well you've come to the right place, beautiful. There's no better store in town than AVALANCHE Ice Cream." He grinned at the shy smile the young man offered and felt his heart beat faster. "What would you like?"

The other man shrugged with a sheepish half-smile. "I'm not really a sweets person," he said, voice low and smooth that seemed to roll over Cloud's skin like a light touch. "Just a vanilla cone." He gave a quirk of cherry red lips, looking up at him through a fringe of silky hair that Cloud found endearing.

"Nothing daring?" Cloud teased as he slid open the glass door to the ice cream bin and packed two scoops of vanilla ice cream on a waffle cone.

"Not today," he murmured with a small smile, and Cloud nearly dropped the cone when their fingers brushed together. It sent electricity sparking up his arm when he passed the cone over.

"On the house, kitten," Cloud offered when the brunet tried to hand him a crinkled five. "Just as long as you come back sometime to see me."

Amusement flashed through stormy eyes as the pale beauty gave a lick of his cone, focusing all of Cloud's attention on the pink tongue darting out between soft lips. "I will," he promised, and then with a tiny tinkle of bells, the love of Cloud's life was gone.

It was only after Cloud couldn't see his love's lovely ass walk down the road that he realized he hadn't gotten the person's name. The man groaned and banged his head down on the counter, his curses downed out as Zack was still singing pop songs in the back of the shop.

He hated Mondays.

 


	2. Spaghetti

Squall Leonhart held a faint smile, a light blush dusting across the bridge of his nose as he thought of the earlier encounter. The brunet had thought he would have disliked living in Hollow Bastion with his foster family. He never stayed in a town long enough to settle before he was carted off because of the trouble he inadvertently attracted. Despite trying to fade into the background he was always targeted, and he never had many friends because of it.

And yet even after having been in Hollow Bastion for only a week, Squall thought things were looking up. He skipped his first Monday as a fourth year at Hollow Bastion High unnoticed. It was his habit to learn the layout of the town so he knew where everything was. And, well, he'd met a very sexy blond who worked at the oddest ice cream shop Squall had ever seen.

Popping the last bit of waffle cone into his mouth, the teen turned down Destiny Road where he lived with his new family. His combat boots kicked up loose dirt in the packed earth road that led to a farm at the end of the lane. Squall could easily make out the hulking silhouette of a rocket nestled between the farmhouse and barn-turned-workshop his foster father tinkered in. Apparently the man and his wife Shera were trying to build a working rocket to the moon, and well, who was Squall to complain? Everyone had their own dreams, and it certainly didn't seem like it affected the family. The twins Roxas and Sora seemed happy, and while one was a little moody, they looked generally well adjusted to life.

Squall's lips quirked up in amusement as he walked towards the farm. The steady sound of swearing could be heard floating through the air the closer he got. He could only see Cid's legs sticking out under a portion of the rocket with an open toolbox beside him. There was the sound of metal clanking against metal followed by a high-pitched 'twang' sound before a steady stream of oil began leaking from the rocket.

"Mother fucking sonofa bitch!" the man snarled and rolled out from under the rocket. Oil was splattered on his face and all down the front of his white tee-shirt.

"Need some help?" Squall asked. He stopped just at the edge of the oil spill that was slowly spreading in a puddle. It was more of a greeting than anything since he didn't know much about building a rocket. His mechanical expertise laid more with guns. Well, more like using them at any rate.

"Weren't ya supposed t'be in school, kid?" Cid grumbled as he sat up. He took a cigarette from the pack shoved into the headband of his goggles and stuck it in his mouth. His grease stained fingers toyed with his lighter, but the cigarette remained unlit for the moment as his thoughts worked on the problems of his rocket.

The teen gave a noncommittal shrug and readjusted his grip on the black backpack slung over one shoulder. As far back as he could remember he'd never gone to school on a Monday. That had always been his day to map out the town he was staying in at the time so he was more familiar with his surroundings in case there was trouble. He'd learned the hard way to always have an escape route in times of danger. The scar that slashed across his face served as a reminder for that. "No one noticed," he finally answered.

Cid grunted and chewed on the end of his cigarette. Most of his attention focused on the problem at hand. "Yer almost an adult now, what the fuck do I care whatcha do now? Just don't get caught or Shera'll tear ya a new one. Oh, and it's time fer dinner." And with that bit of fatherly advice, Cid grabbed a wrench and slid underneath the rocket to tinker some more.

Squall nodded and had barely opened the front steps before he was bowled over by a tiny mass of energy. "Squall, you're home!" Sora yelled and wrapped himself around the taller male. "Where'd ya go after school? Me n' Roxas thought you were kidnapped by Heartless!"

The older teen made noises of understanding as he staggered through the front door with an extra 115 pounds around his waist while Sora talked a mile a minute. He had quickly discovered upon arriving in Hollow Bastion that the spiky-haired brunet talked incessantly, whether about his day-to-day life, his twin brother Roxas, or his make believe fantasy world called 'Kingdom Hearts.' Sora had quite the imagination and Squall figured it was best to stay silent and let the shorter boy talk than try to interrupt. Kicked puppy expressions seemed to occur that way and Squall always felt bad when that happened.

Setting his backpack in the hallway, Squall made his way towards the kitchen where Shera was cooking at the stove. "Hello boys, we're having spaghetti for dinner," she said, a musical lilt to her voice. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, choppy bangs falling into her eyes as she bent over the stove with a spoon to her lips to taste the sauce. Her nose scrunched up in thought, a dab of red sauce at the corner of her mouth, before she pulled down something from the spice rack to sprinkle in the saucepan.

"Need some help?" Squall asked. He gently pried Sora from around his waist and absently patted wayward spiky hair before the boy sped off towards the living room. He didn't mind the task with preparing food and setting things out. He used to do it in his old homes and it gave him a sense of belonging in the family.

She smiled at him, her short white lab coat a mix of various stains gotten from dealing with machines all day as she helped out Cid along with sauce stains from making dinner. "That'd be great, Squall. The boys invited an old family friend over so I have an extra mouth to feed." She pushed up her glasses that had slipped down her nose, setting the wooden spoon down on the counter before heading out the backdoor to collect her husband. "Try not to burn anything," she teased.

Squall was curious as he grabbed an apron off the hook, throwing it over his head before tying the strings around his waist. Both Sora and Roxas had an array of unusual friends ranging from the elderly man Donald from down the street (who vaguely reminded Squall of a duck), to Axel the pyromaniac college drop out. Maybe it was Sora's best friend Riku whom Roxas hated with a passion for some reason. Squall figured it must be a twin thing and not wanting to share attention with someone else.

He set six places for dinner before taking Shera's place to finish dinner. It always took some time to drag Cid away from his rocket. The man was dedicated to his machines and would stay outside working on them until he couldn't see anymore unless forcefully prompted by Shera. Squall hid a grin as he spooned the cooling sauce into a serving bowl and set it on the table. He could hear Cid's heated curses from outside through the open kitchen window and he knew the man would be coming in soon. Shera was a force to be reckoned with despite her seemingly gentle nature.

"Well what do we have here, a cute little housewife?" someone drawled and Squall felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He recognized who that voice belonged to before he turned around to meet clear blue eyes glowing with amusement.

"You!" Squall exclaimed as he set down the pasta bowl on the counter before he dropped it. He hadn't expected to see the other man so soon. And certainly not where he lived, nonchalantly leaning against the doorjamb as if he did it all the time with a smirk fixed in place.

"Me," Cloud repeated in a teasing tone and sauntered into the kitchen. His eyes raked over the sight of the lithe teen cooking at the stove in a frilly, pale yellow apron. He looked adorable with a blush staining his pale face and pink mouth slightly parted in shock. "It's good to see you still remember me."

"Oh, um, Cloud," Squall said, horribly flustered and still reeling from surprise. He hadn't known the sexy blond was going to be staying for dinner or that he was even friends with Roxas and Sora. Why hadn't they told him? And why couldn't he have been wearing something a little less embarrassing than Shera's baking apron? "I didn't know you were coming."

"Not yet," Cloud purred with a quirk of his eyebrow as he plucked the pasta bowl off the counter to set it on the table. "Of course you could help me with that later."

A lascivious wink met the comment and Squall was sure by now that his hair would catch on fire from how hot his face had become. Cloud was flirting with him! Again! And apparently all Squall could do in defense was blush and murmur something unintelligible while he slunk around the blond to the fridge for some milk. Great, how lame could he get?

Squall looked up when he felt a tug on his apron strings to be met with intense azure eyes inches from his own face. "'Kiss the Cook' hmm?" Cloud teased, lightly running a finger up Squall's chest. "I think I will." Squall barely had time to understand that Cloud was referring to his apron before the taller male captured his lips in a stolen kiss.

His eyes widened in shock before they closed, a little 'mew' of surprise escaping slightly parted lips as he was pushed back against the fridge door. Fireworks didn't go off, and he didn't go weak-kneed when their lips touched but it was a damn good kiss. It made Squall's toes curl in his boots as he clutched the front of Cloud's shirt for support.

A tongue ran over Squall's bottom lip and he opened his mouth to allow Cloud's tongue inside to slide against his own. The blond tasted like sinful dark chocolate mixed with a sharp bite of spice that Squall wanted more of. He pressed harder against the other to get closer and _oh yes_ , felt hands slide down his body to clutch at his hip, rubbing small circles against his skin where his shirt rode up.

It felt so good, and Squall had never experienced anything like it before. He wanted more, and he swore he could hear bells going off after all. But the distant sound of a door slamming open followed by cursing broke Squall out of his dazed condition.

"Jesus Christ Squall, if you're gonna make out with yer goddamn boyfriend, do it _after_ ya put the food on th' table!" Cid yelled, completely ignoring the pair as he opened up the oven door where the smoke started to billow out. He pulled out the burnt garlic bread and set it down on the counter.

Squall wanted to die in mortification as the smoke alarm was shut off. He closed his eyes and buried his head in the crook of Cloud's neck when he heard Sora and Roxas' snickers coming from the kitchen doorway. This couldn't get anymore embarrassing.

"You know, you're cute when you blush Squall," Cloud murmured in his ear, lightly nipping at the shell of the ear before he smoothly pulled back as if nothing had happened. "Dinner smells delicious Mrs. Highwind," he said pleasantly with a charming smile. He threaded his fingers with Squall's and pulled the shorter male towards the kitchen table. He noticed a splotch of sauce on the brunet's cheek and he wiped it off, popping the finger in his mouth with a cheeky grin towards Squall. "Tastes good too."

"Probably not as good as my son," the woman murmured with a faint smile and a wink as she served the plates causing Squall to nearly choke on his milk.

Okay. Maybe it could get more embarrassing after all.


	3. Coffee

The door to Omega Coffee House slammed open with enough force to dent the wall as Cloud barged in. He had a wide grin on his face and blue eyes glowed with unholy excitement. "I have found my Light!"

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Vincent Valentine asked with a raised eyebrow as he idly flicked through a gun magazine.

Cloud made a dismissive sound, dropping his backpack beside him as he leaned against the counter. "That bastard Sephiroth got sick for the day so class was canceled." He grinned, toying with one of the plastic coffee stirrers that were next to the cash register. That class was torture and Cloud was positive his Professor was out to fail him. "And I wanted to tell you the good news."

Vincent glanced at the clock mounted above the glass door. Only ten minutes until he could close early, and Cloud wanted to discuss his love life. Great. "Which is?" he prompted while drumming his fingers on the chrome counter top.

"I have found the one," Cloud said seriously, snagging a cranberry muffin from a display case. He didn't really want it but it gave his hands something to do with all the extra energy he had. Squall didn't get out of school for another fifteen minutes and what better way to kill time than to spend it with his good friend Vincent?

"You have to pay for that," Vincent said mildly when Cloud absently fiddled with the muffin in his hands.

Cloud scoffed and poked Vincent in the chest. "I'm talking about my Light and you're worried about a sixty-nine cent muffin?" The blond rolled his eyes and dropped the shredded muffin on the counter. "Vincent, this isn't a mere infatuation or some creepy thing you have with your boss' wife. This is love. L-O-V-E."

Vincent shot the younger man an irritated glare. "What I feel for Lucrecia is deeper than whatever you have with your interchangeable boy toys." The corners of his mouth pulled down into a frown that was hidden by his black turtleneck.

Cloud didn't seem put off by the cold behavior. "This is different, Vincent," he protested. "I knew as soon as that sexy brunet walked through those doors that he was mine. We had dinner at his parent's house yesterday," he added offhandedly with a smirk. Who knew Squall could taste so delicious? And Shera's cooking wasn't bad either.

"Mm-hmm, yeah that's great," Vincent said with a trace of impatience in his voice. He didn't mind his friend coming in when he was working, but it was near closing and Cloud wanted to talk about his love life. It was the only time the younger man strung more than three words together in a sentence, and Vincent always wondered why Cloud came to him. Wasn't the man best friends with Zack? Shouldn't they be talking about this together?

Vincent more or less tuned out Cloud talking. It wasn't that Vincent wasn't supportive of his friend, but every other week Cloud came to his work talking about his 'Light.' Cloud never really elaborated on why he called them 'his Light' and Vincent never bothered to ask. Some things were better left unknown.

"Look, are you going to order something or not?" Vincent finally interrupted while he scooped the demolished muffin bits into the waste bin under the counter. "You're holding up the line."

Cloud blinked and looked behind him before shooting the taller man an amused look. "There's no one here." They were the only two people in the tiny coffee shop made up in variations of chrome, silver, and black. The only splash of color was the red apron Vincent wore and the writing on the menu listed on the wall behind the counter.

"Then you'll get me fired by Hojo," Vincent said with a slight growl, which wasn't really a lie. For some reason Hojo hated him, and he was often the test subject of Hojo's experiments. The old man was often in the back making new coffee blends for the perfect taste but so far he hadn't come close. Vincent had his own bed at the hospital by the amount of times he'd had his stomach pumped after being force-fed another concoction. The only reason why he put up with it was to see Lucrecia occasionally stop by with a sweet smile on her face when she visited her husband.

He scrubbed a hand across his face when Cloud shot him a mock hurt look. "Don't you want to hear about my boyfriend?" the blond asked.

"No," Vincent said flatly, trying to ignore the look Cloud always used to get his way. It may have worked in college to help Cloud with his studies but no more. "I've got someone coming in for a job interview, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't scare them off."

Cloud waved off the comment. "Please, they're perfectly safe since I'm content with my delectable little kitten." Speaking of which, maybe he'd stop by Highwind's place for dinner again and possibly a little after dinner activities with Squall. He _did_ need to get better acquainted with the teen… intimately acquainted. He wondered if Squall was as sensitive elsewhere as when someone licked the nape of his neck. And Cloud was sure he could put all those belts to good use.

"Good, because Squall's coming in and-" the rest of what Vincent was going to say was cut off when Cloud grabbed him by the front of his apron and hauled him over the counter so they were face to face.

"What do you know about Squall?" Cloud demanded. Vincent knew him? How? Why? And was he after Squall as well? "Why is he coming here?"

Great. On top of acting like a lovesick idiot, Cloud was also out of his head. He always knew the blond would snap at some point, but Vincent had always thought it would be when Zack was around. Or maybe Cloud's professor, Sephiroth. Just someone other than him. "You already have a job so I don't know why you're acting this way," Vincent said, slightly frazzled as he tried to pry Cloud's fingers from his shirt. "Leonhart was looking for a job and-"

For the second time Vincent was interrupted when the bell above the doors tingled and a familiar brunet walked in. "Um, hello?" he asked tentatively, clutching the strap of his black backpack nervously.

Cloud had a megawatt smile on his face as he turned towards the male. "Squall, I didn't know you came here," he purred and instantly released Vincent from his hold to latch onto the poor brunet.

The grad student slid to the floor with a 'thump' that was muffled by Cloud's excited chatter as he steered Squall towards a table in the back of the shop. Vincent pushed back long strands of black hair from his face that had fallen out of his red scarf as he got up, giving the corner of the room a despairing glance. It seemed like Cloud was going to be there awhile by the way the blond was exploring his 'Light's' mouth with his tongue.

Vincent sighed in defeat and glanced at the clock that ticked well past closing time. There was a crash as an enthusiastic Cloud knocked a creamer off the table. "Sorry!" Cloud yelled, not looking the least bit contrite as he hauled up Squall on the table, hands somewhere buried under the teen's black shirt.

There was another crash followed by muffled thumps, and Vincent said goodbye to the rest of his night. He flicked off the neon 'open' sign and calmly poured himself one of Hojo's concoctions to drink. He needed something to keep him up for the night and hoped he didn't kill himself first.

God dammit, he wasn't getting paid enough for this.


	4. Spicy

Cloud liked the sound Squall made when he was flustered. It was a little noise in the back of his throat that was a cross between a drawn out moan and a whimper. It was the sexiest thing Cloud had ever heard, and he was determined to find every spot on the brunet's body that made the teen nothing more than a bundle of nerves beneath his hands.

"Ngh, Cloud I don't think we should be doing this," Squall panted, face flushed and breath labored as he was pinned against the wall by the older male. His arms were linked around the blonde's neck, a knee wedged between his thighs to keep him from sliding down the wall. "We're going to get cau-" he broke off in a low moan when Cloud licked his throat and latched onto the junction between neck and shoulder. Calloused hands were rubbing up his bare torso, alternately pushing Squall against the wall and pulling him closer.

Cloud grinned against the heated flesh, feeling Squall's erratic pulse beneath his tongue as he sucked on the skin there hard enough to leave a mark. "Relax," he murmured, tangling his hands in silky brown hair and pulling the teen's head back to stretch out that very graceful, very delectable, slender throat. "You're on break; no one's going to find us back here."

He silenced any protest with a swift kiss, capturing soft lips and teasingly flicking his tongue inside the hot mouth that tasted like mint and hazelnut and, _god,_ so addicting. The sounds of hot panting and faint slurping echoed in the dimly lit supply closet Cloud had pushed Squall into earlier. Something about the brunet just got under his skin and it was _so_ hard to concentrate or do anything when all he had was the teen on his mind. Especially when he made little sounds like that and _yes._

Cloud could have happily spent the next hours, days even, exploring every inch of his Light's mouth, but he had an objective today. Curling his tongue around Squall's just so that made the teen's eyelids flutter, he drew back with a quick nip at the lush bottom lip before making his way towards his goal.

"Hold on to something, baby," he whispered wickedly against the corner of Squall's mouth before sliding down the lithe body. Without the shirt and apron he'd done away with earlier, Cloud was free to map out Squall's body with his mouth. He swirled his tongue around a flat pink nipple that made the teen's breath hitch. Sleekly defined abs was traced with his tongue before running down to ghost his breath over a bared hip. His teeth lightly scraped against smooth pale skin before his tongue darting out to run down the crisp line of hairs that disappeared into the waistband of Squall's pants. Each action made Squall make the most delicious sounds the closer Cloud got to his target that echoed loudly in the small room. Cloud growled at the obstruction that prevented him from his goal, feeling this intense need build up within him as he tried to unbuckle Squall's belts.

Hands gripped blond spikes as Squall tugged on them to force Cloud's head up from where he was licking right above the edge of his leather pants. "What are you doing?" the teen hissed in a strained voice, having a hard time concentrating when Cloud's hands were moving up the sides of his thighs and tugging insistently on the many belts looped around his waist. "We don't have time for…for whatever you're doing!" They were going to get caught, and he was going to get fired from his first real job ever.

Cloud captured the slender wrists and pinned them to either side of Squall's body. He looked up at the flushed younger male with stormy eyes nearly glowing with sexual desires. Cloud felt smug satisfaction curl within him because _he_ had done that to Squall. He growled and focused on how to get rid of his kitten's many belts. They had their uses, but right now he wanted them off as soon as possible. "How much time do you have left before you're off break?" he asked, working on the first of the belts to get at what was so tantalizingly displayed in front of him underneath tight black leather. Damn it; he needed Squall _right now_.

The door was flung open before Squall could respond and a very pissed off Vincent grabbed the back of Cloud's shirt and hauled him out of the closet. " _What_ are you doing?" he hissed in outrage. He didn't spare a glance at the very embarrassed Squall as he brought up Cloud to eyelevel.

Blue eyes nearly blazed with sexual frustration before they were tempered at the sight of Vincent, calming down to a minor annoyance at having been interrupted. "About to give Squall a blow jo-" A hand was clapped over his mouth and Vincent _glared_ at him with enough force that cowed lesser men. It just made Cloud roll his eyes indifferently.

"Finish that sentence and I will throw you out of here," Vincent growled. He tried to reign in his frazzled nerves at having to work the six o'clock rush hour shift alone while Cloud was _molesting the hired help_. "And you," the man continued as he fixed his gaze on a very flushed Squall who was trying to tug his shirt back on, "your break was over fifteen minutes ago."

Squall knew his face was becoming a most unflattering shade of red at having been caught. He _knew_ this was going to happen. He just couldn't say no to Cloud, especially when the blond had looked like that, as if he wanted to just _devour_ him. "I lost track of time" he murmured with a faint smirk despite the blush. He tried to sound contrite but it was hard when Cloud was looking at him like that with heated promises despite Vincent standing right there.

Cloud pulled out of Vincent's grip to straighten the front of his blue ribbed tank top. "Ah, come on Vincent. It's been a long day and unlike some of us, Squallie's got school in the morning." He winked and draped himself over the pale teen, wrapping his arms around the slender waist and giving a playful squeeze. "Why don't you let me take him home so he can do homework? I'm sure you could close early, I heard Lucrecia would be at AVALANCHE around this time," he added temptingly.

Vincent's thoughts derailed at the mention of his one love and he frowned reflexively, knowing Cloud had dropped her name as a distraction. And dammit, it had worked. He sighed and turned his back on the pair to look towards the front of the shop. Rush hour was almost over and with Hojo gone again, that left him with leeway to close early. That old man would never know, and it was a chance to see Lucrecia, maybe even share a frozen treat with her even though Vincent wasn't really one for sweets.

"Fine," Vincent acquiesced with a sigh, feeling a mild headache form between his eyes that he rubbed at tiredly. "I expect to see you early in on Saturday." He turned around to shoot a garnet-eyed glare that promised severe retribution if Squall didn't, but it fell on deaf ears because Cloud was dragging his boyfriend away.

"Can do, Vincent, but he might be a bit sore in the morning," Cloud said cheekily, body heating up at the prospect of having Squall to himself for three whole hours before the teen had to go home. Shera and her silly curfews, thinking he was going to corrupt her newest son. Which he was, but that was beside the point. "Hurry up," he murmured, snaking an arm around Squall's waist and more or less hauling him out the back door of the coffee house.

Squall stumbled after the blond as he was pulled into the alleyway and headed towards Cloud's car parked in the back. His shirt was still uncomfortably twisted around him and his pants were hanging low on his hips after Cloud had managed to undo one of his belts. "Cloud, what are we doing?"

A surprised 'eep' came out of the teen's mouth when Cloud pulled open the car door and pushed him in the back seat. A very heavy, very excited Cloud, landed on top of him and kissed him as if he was the very air Cloud breathed. His shirt was pulled over his head and caught at the crook of his elbows to tangle there, trapping Squall's arms above his head.

"I'm helping you with your homework like I promised Vincent," Cloud purred, hands making fast work of the belts still adorning Squall's pants. He sucked on the already purple bruise on Squall's collarbone; humming against the slightly salty skin when a faint 'clink' was heard and the last of the Squall's belts were undone. "You're taking human anatomy, and what better way to help you study than hands on learning?"

"In the car?" Squall protested indignantly, his brain fast becoming encased in a thick fog as Cloud's mouth traveled down his body once more. "What if someone sees us- ah!" he broke off with a short cry, bucking his hips up at the contact.

Cloud nibbled on a hipbone, sliding his tongue against the skin in meandering patterns. "Education knows no boundaries, Squall, expand your mind," he murmured, yanking down the leather pants in one swift tug. There was a sharp intake of breath as Cloud finally reached his goal before a high keening wail started that made the blond close his eyes in pleasure as fierce desire rippled over him.

God, did he love that sound.


	5. Candy

Squall clutched his stomach as he leaned over a trash bin. He felt as if he was still on the roller coaster the twins had forced him to ride on. Never again.

"Oh come on Squall, that wasn't even a big one," Sora admonished, linking his hands behind his head and rocking back on his heels while he waited for Squall. "We haven't even done the Oblivion ride." His eyes sparkled and a grin stretched across his face at all the other thrill rides they had yet to go on.

"Sora and I go on it every year," Roxas chimed in as he munched on a candy apple. "It's the best ride at Xemnas' Traveling Circus." A close second was the wicked looking the Castle That Never Was where monsters popped out and scared people in the haunted ride.

Squall mumbled something, placing a shaky hand on the concession stand wall to steady him. "Why don't you guys go on by yourself and I'll watch?" He had seen the monstrously large ride that swung around like a pendulum at high speeds before flipping people upside down 100 feet in the air. Just thinking about it made his stomach turn and Squall felt like he was going to be sick.

"No way!" Sora protested, grabbing onto the older brunet's hand and tugging him along. "Dad said to go out and have fun, and me n' Roxas are gonna show you the best time ever."

The older teen turned to look at Roxas for some support, but he had the most evil smirk on his deceptively innocent face. "Yeah, we wouldn't want to upset Dad," Roxas said innocently, grabbing onto Squall's other hand and running towards the ride with Sora right at his heels.

The poor older sibling was jostled in the crowd, tripping over his feet as he tried to keep up with the hyperactive twins without knocking down other people. Ohh God, he could feel the cotton candy from earlier threatening to come back up, and Squall thought he'd throw up right over the two if they didn't stop yanking on his arms.

Halfway to the ride of Squall's utter doom the trio stopped abruptly when Roxas ran smack into someone and went crashing towards the ground. "What the hell?" the blond snarled, ready to tear into the person that had stepped into his path. That anger spiked to an all time high when he was lifted off the ground in a bear hug by a familiar pain in the ass.

"Roxy!" Axel crowed with a huge grin plastered on his face as he hugged his friend. "Have you come to see me?"

Roxas struggled out of the grip and firmly kicked Axel's shin with his booted foot. The man squawked and dropped him, and Roxas glared up at the annoying man while trying to straighten his hair. "No," he snapped and helped Sora up from the ground. "And why the hell are you dressed like that?"

Axel looked more like a clown than usual with his face painted white and the triangle tattoos under his eyes largely exaggerated in black. A little blade of a red smile sliced up his cheeks in a creepy grin. He was wearing a tight-fitting long black cloak over a pair of leather pants with flames licking up the zippered sides and black army boots.

"You look like an idiot," Roxas stated flatly while folding his arms across his chest.

Axel pulled a sad face before snatching out to grab Roxas around the shoulders and ruffle blond spikes. "Aww, Roxy I know you like my costume. I'm the Flurry of Dancing Flames."

Sora looked intrigued, noticing the red and silver metal circles in Axel's hands with sharp looking spikes around the edge. "What do you do?" he asked.

The grin stretched wider and Axel held his chakrams in front of him. "Old Mansex hired me to work in his side show. I get to work with fire," he said gleefully. Squall was startled when the chakrams instantly ignited and Axel twirled them around with a nonchalance that was worrying.

"Yeah, that's great," Roxas said disinterestedly as he rolled his eyes. "Look, we have to show our brother Squall around so see you. Hopefully never," he muttered while he stomped past the redhead.

A gloved hand snagged the sleeve of Roxas' white shirt and the teen gritted his teeth in annoyance. "But I need some help for my performance tonight. I get to throw my chakrams at one lucky volunteer and I need to practice." He wheeled around to face a mildly worried brunette. "Squall, was it?" Axel asked and the other male nodded hesitantly. "You wouldn't mind if I borrow Roxy for an hour or two? I swear I'll return him back in one piece."

"Can we get free tickets to the show?" Sora interjected, hopping from one foot to another excitedly. Roxas was going to be in the show with all the other carnival performers. How cool was that?

"Sure," Axel agreed and pressed three tickets into Sora's hand. "See you tonight!" And then he was pulling a violently protesting Roxas through the crowds and out of sight.

"Are you sure he'll be okay?" Squall asked worriedly as he bit his bottom lip. It didn't look like Roxas liked Axel that much.

Sora waved it off as he flipped over the black tickets stamped in blood red lettering. "Of course," he reassured. "Axel and Roxas are great friends."

Squall wasn't exactly sure about that. He was supposed to watch out for his younger brothers and he didn't want to come home to Cid and Shera with Roxas covered in third degree burns. "Yeah, but-" Arms wrapped around his waist from behind that nearly caused him to die of heart palpitations.

"Hello, kitten," Cloud purred in his ear and Squall relaxed in the hold.

"What are you doing here?" Squall asked, turning around in Cloud's arms. He could hear Sora mock gagging behind him when Cloud caught his lips in a quick kiss.

"Same thing you and Sora are doing, enjoying the circus," the blond answered, making a playful face at Sora. He released his hold on his kitten before Sora latched onto his waist in greeting with sticky fingers.

Sora giggled when Cloud ruffled his cinnamon spikes. "By yourself?"

"Not exactly. I caught Riku looking bored and thought I'd drag him along," Cloud answered and Sora immediately perked up.

"Where?" he asked excitedly, knowing that Riku would go on Oblivion with him again and again until they couldn't tell up from down.

Cloud hitched his thumb over by the games booth where Riku was trying to win a stuffed Chocobo for Kairi. "Bye Squall! I'll see you later tonight," Sora called out as he ran towards his friends.

Squall narrowed his eyes as Cloud wrapped an arm around his waist. "That was a planned ambush," he accused.

The blond grinned and shrugged his shoulders before he steered Squall through the crowds. "I can't help it if they happened to run into their friends. Now, how about you and I enjoy the circus together?"

The younger male wasn't too annoyed about losing his brothers for a bit and he smiled. "As long as it's not another thrill ride," he said, completely missing the wide leer Cloud was sporting.

"Then you'll love the Hall of Empty Melodies," Cloud said. He paid two tickets to enter the ride, pressing a twenty in the operator's hand with a knowing wink. They were ushered into a heart shaped boat gently rocking in a channel of water that lead towards a covered tunnel entrance.

"What does it do?" Squall asked when lilting sitar music started to play. Jets of colored water shot from the many fountains in an abstract pattern as soon as the boat passed through the entrance. There was barely enough light to see in front of him, and Squall had his suspicions when Cloud's arm settled around his shoulder.

"Who cares?" A hot mouth pressed against his own, and Squall didn't notice when the ride shuddered to a halt. The music was swirling around them, lights were shooting off arcing over their heads, and Cloud's hands were doing interesting things as they were pressed against each other. Their breath mingled together, tasting of candy apples and cotton candy, and Squall's stomach was flipping over that had nothing to do with getting sick when Cloud's hands traveled down to the fastening of his pants.

If Squall noticed the five-minute ride lasted forty minutes longer than it was supposed to, he wasn't complaining.


	6. Milk and Honey

Cloud tapped his pencil on his open textbook, nearly finished with his assignment. That bastard Sephiroth had gone a lot lighter on the reading assignments for the week. The blond didn't know what happened but whatever it was, Cloud hoped it continued. He might finally have a chance of passing the quarter and that was cause for celebration; namely him, Squall, and a little alone time.

The man's gaze flicked towards the front of the coffee house where Squall was serving a customer with a pleasant smile. For once Cloud wasn't over there trying to play tonsil hockey with his boyfriend, and was honestly trying to study like a good student. Although he couldn't help it if he took a couple more breaks than normal when Squall looked too edible in his little red apron and checkered scarf tied around his head to hold back long chocolate hair. Maybe it was time to take another break and study something else.

The bells of the shop tingled open and Cloud raised his eyebrows when Vincent strolled into work. "What happened to you?" The grad student looked a lot more relaxed than he usually was and there was even a faint smile gracing those pale lips. Maybe Vincent had taken his advice and talked to his creepy obsession, Lucrecia. "Did you finally get what you wanted?" That would explain the very satisfied air the man had around him.

The grad student shook his head, giving a faint wave to Squall who was working behind the counter before slipping on his red apron. "Not exactly," Vincent murmured before disappearing into the backroom, and Cloud shook his head in puzzlement. Sometimes he thought he'd never understand his friend.

His thoughts about Vincent immediately disappeared when Squall plopped down on the chair across from him. "Shift's over?" he asked with a large smile. He reached over and tugged on the neck of Squall's white t-shirt to pull the teen towards him in a quick kiss.

Squall made a noise of agreement in the back of his throat. "Yeah, Vincent said he'd cover for me tonight," he answered when they broke apart. "He's been unusually complacent this entire week," he mused thoughtfully.

"Who cares?" Cloud responded flippantly and jammed his things into his backpack, thankful that he was finished and could get on to better things. "You're off of work now and I wanted to take you somewhere." He threw his bag over his shoulder before grabbing Squall by the wrist to drag him out the door.

Squall raised his eyebrows in query. "Is it the back of your car?" he murmured sardonically. "Or better yet your bedroom?"

Cloud waved off the comment as he opened up the backdoor of his car and threw his things into the back seat. "No." Not this time. Tifa had nearly strangled him to death when she had asked about his Light and he hadn't been able to answer her questions properly. So what if he didn't know Squall's last name or how old his kitten was? Give him a break; Cloud had only discovered the love of his life two weeks ago. They had plenty of time to get to know each other. He had just discovered the physical part of it first.

Squall looked curious as Cloud drove through town. "Then where are we going?" They had never actually gone on an actual 'date' and his friend Yuffie had demanded that he get Cloud to treat him like a proper boyfriend. Truthfully, Squall didn't really mind that there hadn't been much talking in their, well, whatever relationship they were calling it. He wasn't that much of a talkative person and Squall couldn't think very clearly when Cloud was doing that thing with his tongue anyway. Still, it would be nice to get to know the blond aside from what other people had told him.

His eyebrows rose when the speedometer needle climbed to 95 mph. He could see Cloud check his watch, brow furrowing as he thought, before the blond accelerated with a roar of his engine. "Cloud?" he asked again, feeling slightly queasy as they whipped around a van.

"It's a surprise," Cloud answered while swerving around cars as he pressed down on the gas pedal. They were going to be late if he didn't hurry up and the train only came around at a specific time. He had made special secret plans in an effort to surprise his kitten. He had heard (more like been yelled at) by Yuffie that Squall had expressed going on a proper date, and Cloud wanted him to be happy. He wasn't a _total_ idiot when it came to relationships as Tifa often complained to him.

Cloud was flat out flying down the highway, darting through traffic easily and changing gears to get off at an exit ramp to Twilight Town. He didn't seem fazed when he ran a red light (much to the horror of Squall) and zoomed down one-way streets. Almost there, he scanned the road for a place to park and shot between the sidewalk and a tractor-trailer, cutting his wheel hard to slide sideways into a parking space with the screech of tires. Who the hell needed parallel parking? He flashed a white-faced Squall a reassuring grin. "Come on," he said, getting out of the car and slamming the door closed. "We're going to be late."

"For what?" Squall groaned, feeling sick as he fumbled out of his seat belt with shaking hands. As soon as the buckle clicked he was pulled out of the car by an eager Cloud, more or less tripping over his feet as the taller male yanked him along. "Where are we going?" he asked again, half-skipping to keep up lest he have his arm fully pulled out of its socket.

"Haven't you ever heard of a little adventure?" Cloud asked, quickening his pace as he heard the train whistle up ahead. "Learn to live a little and open your mind."

Squall barely had time to read 'Central Station' hanging above the building before Cloud plunged them through the throng of people that were scurrying to catch their train. "The last time you said that - sorry- to me, Cid almost hit the roof-ow, sorry- when you decided to play rocket man-so sorry ma'am-with an actual one. Sorry," he apologized again when he kept knocking into other people.

Cloud snickered while stepping into the car. He quickly pulled Squall behind him just as the doors snapped closed. "But it was fun, wasn't it?" He gave the teen a crooked grin, subtly patting his pants pockets to make sure he had their tickets.

"Not worth the chewing out Cid did when you left," Squall muttered with a faint blush. "I don't think those stains will ever come out of the upholstery." It _had_ been fun though and Squall had never been so impulsive before. Cloud was bringing out the worst in him, but he had to admit that it wasn't so bad.

Cloud slid down into a plastic chair and pulled Squall into his lap. "Just watch the scenery go by," he said with a faint smirk, loosely settling his arms around the slender waist. Squall had liked their time together even if the teen never admitted it. He wondered if he could get his kitten to agree to other things as well. AVALANCHE was always a possibility and Squall probably tasted delicious with a little chocolate syrup and whip cream.

Once Squall was comfortable Cloud closed his eyes and leaned his head back to rest against the windowpane. So far everything was going okay. He had even called ahead to make sure the reservation were still in order. He had done some asking around (more like bribing) Roxas and Sora for Squall's favorite foods and he had eventually found the perfect place. It hadn't hurt that there wasn't a dress code for such an exclusive place. (He hated wearing ties.) His last boyfriend had always tried to dress him up, and that hadn't gone very well. Thank God, Squall was low maintenance.

It was quiet in the empty car save for the light 'click-clack' of the train over the tracks. Cloud was lightly dozing and Squall was looking out at the rolling green hills with curiosity. He twined his fingers with Cloud's and squeezed them fondly. It was quiet times like these in their whirlwind relationship that Squall loved, and it made him think he was worth more than just some fun to Cloud. They hadn't actually talked about their feelings yet, but Squall was sure the bond that had instantly formed between them wasn't just a passing fling.

The train started to slow down and Cloud stirred, fishing out the two tickets and giving them to the ticket master as the train stopped. The whistle blew and the older man winked at the amazed brunet as the doors slid open and they stepped outside. "Welcome to a little known place called Fabled Countryside, Squall."

It was like a whole other world as soon as the pair stepped onto the train station platform. The town was in a valley with green hills everywhere that seemed to be floating amongst white, wispy clouds. The sky was a deep orange sunset color that morphed into a midnight blue and Squall gaped, gazing up at the millions of stars that glowed and twinkled brightly in the night sky. He had never seen so many before in all the places he had lived and it was… it was… "It's beautiful," he whispered, voicing his thoughts out loud.

Cloud could feel satisfaction curling within him as he laced his fingers with Squall's. "That's not the best part," he boasted, planting a quick kiss on the tip of the brunet's nose before motioning down a wooded pathway that started where the platform ended. Everything was going so well, and Cloud inwardly congratulated himself as they walked through the woods towards their goal. Who said he didn't have a romantic bone in his body?

A million questions were whirling around in Squall's head as Cloud led him towards their destination. He couldn't help the excited feeling inside wondering what his boyfriend had done and where they were going. A small smile lifted up the corners of his mouth. He hadn't imagined something like this when Cloud had mentioned they were going out.

The trees cleared at a bend in the dirt pathway and Squall's mouth dropped open at the building that was sitting on top of a cliff. "Is that-?" he asked, unable to finish his question as he gazed at the massive golden-brown structure with awe. The building seemed to loom against the night sky, the crooked spiral towers topped with cone-shaped turret roofs decorated with moons and stars made an imposing sight.

Cloud nodded; a full-blown grin on his face at the almost childish glee in Squall's eyes. "Yen Sid's restaurant," he answered. "A little birdie told me you've always wanted to go there so I pulled some strings to get us a reservation." It hadn't been easy. The surrealistic-looking hole in the wall restaurant was only known through word of mouth and getting there was almost impossible.

The next second Cloud had an armful of Squall as the brunet threw himself into Cloud's arms and kissed him hard on the mouth. "You're the best boyfriend ever," he said breathlessly between kisses, unable to contain his exhilaration. He had heard of the fabled restaurant run by the top chefs in the world but had never had thought he would have the chance to see it for himself. It had always been a secret dream of his to be able to share a romantic dinner with someone special, but it had been consigned as a distant dream he would never fulfill.

Cloud threaded his fingers through silky hair, resting their foreheads together as he looked into swirling blue/gray eyes. "I'd do anything for you," he said softly, pressing another kiss to Squall's lips.

They stood there in the middle of the woods hanging onto each other, just soaking in the others presence before Cloud cleared his throat. "Well come on, I've got reservations and they're not going to wait forever," he said, wrapping an arm around the slender waist to walk up the gravel pathway towards the crooked restaurant.

He'd do anything for Squall because the teen was his Light and meant more to him than anything in the world. He'd make sure his kitten knew that he was serious about him.

There was a yelp and Squall whirled around with a blush staining his face as he rubbed at his ass where Cloud had pinched him. "Cloud!" the teen snapped and shoved the man away from him. "You're such a horny bastard!"

Of course it just might take Squall a little longer to take him seriously, although Cloud couldn't imagine why.


	7. Sour

" _Please don't stop the music,"_ Cloud sang along to the radio, feeling in a particularly good mood as he swayed to the beat behind the store counter. Not even working the dead shift Monday morning could bring down his happy feeling when everything was just perfect. _"It's getting late. I'm making my way over to my favorite place."_ He even gave a slight smile instead of his sullen scowl to old man Scrooge as he ordered the cheapest thing on the menu and left pocket lint in the tip jar.

Yep, nothing could bring him down because he had the most perfect boyfriend, he was on top of all his classes for once, and he was getting sex on a weekly basis (and sometimes even twice in one day). Did he mention the mind blowing sex because yeah, what more could a man ask for?

" _Do you know what you started?"_ Cloud grinned and shook his hips to the beat as he wiped down the counter with a dish towel. Maybe he'd drop by H. B. High and pick up Squall for a night on the town and then back to AVALANCHE. Cloud was pretty sure he could convince Zack that he should go home to Aerith and he'd close up shop. It gave him the perfect opportunity to play out his little sundae fantasy, and he was sure Squall would like it just as much. _"We're hand in hand, chest to chest and now we're face to face._ " He dropped the broom he had been holding, gearing up to belt out the chorus and nearly jumped out of his skin when he head clapping behind him.

"Ah, true love does make fools of us all," Zack sighed as he appeared behind Cloud with a sappy grin on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked disgruntled and turned down the radio. He straightened out his paper hat that was tipped to the side on his head from when he had whirled around to face the other man. "And how long have you been standing there?"

Zack shrugged and shoved his hands into the pocket of his apron as he meandered around behind the counter. "Since my song of the week came on. I figured I'd work the register since you're such a grouchy face about it on Mondays." Cloud raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. Thirty-two years old and Zack still sounded like he was in primary school sometimes. "Imagine my surprise when you were dancing around like a little ball of sunshine to my pop song of the week."

He chuckled and hopped up to sit on the counter beside his friend. "So when are you bringing him over for dinner?" he asked as he fished around the candy jar for a green apple lollipop.

Cloud froze and looked at Zack. "What?" he asked, wondering if he had heard right.

Zack nodded and unwrapped the candy before popping it into his mouth. "Yeah, Spike. Aerith wants to meet this 'Light' of yours and I want to know about the man who gave me my little Cloudy back." He reached out and pinched the man's cheeks while making a cooing sound. "I haven't seen you smile this much since grade school. I want to congratulate him."

The blond slapped Zack's hand away and rubbed his cheek. "Since when was this decided?"

The elder man sucked on his lollipop before drawing it out with slurp. "How does tonight sound?" he asked, completely ignoring Cloud's question. "Aerith's making pasta." Cloud's mind instantly flashed to that night at Squall's and he had to stomp down on his raging hormones. "Or we could go out to eat," Zack switched when he saw the expression Cloud's face. He would have to ask about it later, and with the leer stretching across his friend's face Zack knew it would be good.

"Could we do this at a later date?" Cloud had plans, big plans, and he'd already stashed away the rainbow sprinkles in the back because of them. As much as he loved his friends he really loved a sundae Squall more.

Zack shook his head and pointed the lollipop Cloud. "Nope, Aerith has made up her mind and believe me, as a married man, it's just better to go along with what she says." Cold nights on the couch resulted otherwise, and Zack had learned very fast the golden saying of 'yes dear.' "Why? Do you have something going on tonight?" Giving one last lick of the green apple candy he put the wrapper back on and stuck it in his back pocket for later.

Cloud shrugged and tossed the dish towel over his shoulder. "You know, this and that," he casually answered, bending down to grab the bottle of Windex from under the counter to clean off the glass display case. The triplets Huey, Dewey, and Louie had pressed their fingers all over it when they had marveled at the new treats put out. The contents in the glass could hardly be seen because of their sticky prints. "I thought I'd put in some extra hours since I've been skipping out to see Squall. I was even thinking of closing up shop for you so you could go home early to Aerith."

"And it would have nothing to do with this?" Zack asked and pulled something from his front apron pocket. The rainbow sprinkles inside the large plastic container rattled together when Zack shook it before he dropped it down on the spotless counter.

"No," Cloud answered with a straight face, inwardly cursing that Zack had found his stash. A bottle of industrial sized chocolate syrup was set down next to the container of sprinkles followed by a can of whip cream and Cloud knew he was fucked.

Zack raised his eyebrow in disbelief as his eyes sparkled with laughter. "Cloud, I've known you all your life and can see through a lie of yours from a mile away." The blond sighed and Zack broke out into a huge grin.

"What gave me away?" Cloud mumbled, consigning himself to a night at Aerith and Zack's with Squall for a nice 'family dinner'.

The older man snickered as he upended the can of whip cream and squirted some into his mouth. "You need to find a better hiding place," he said and licked a spot of cream from the corner of his mouth. "The storage closet was where I used to stash these for when Aerith came around." He winked and then laughed at the horrified expression on Cloud's face as he got up to head towards the back of the store. "We'll expect to see you lovebirds at eight."

Cloud was left to suffer mental images of his two best friends with a tub of ice cream. He would never look at sprinkles the same way again.

* * *

 

"What's the matter with you?" Squall asked for the third time in a row when Cloud shuddered and gave a weird spastic eye twitch. The older man had been doing it ever since he'd been informed that they would be having dinner at the Fair's. Squall almost wanted to ask if Cloud would like to go to an eye doctor instead to get his eyes examined.

"Nothing," Cloud muttered, eyes concentrating intently on the road as he drove to his best friend's house. Damn Zack and his ability to get under his skin. Now he'd never be able to have a sundae Squall without thinking of them and oh god, Cloud could feel his stomach turn over in an unpleasant manner. "I'm just a little nervous about tonight." It wasn't a total lie.

Squall nodded in understanding and turned his gaze to look out the window as the countryside passed by. Cloud had mentioned that Zack and Aerith had helped him back on his feet when his mother had passed away. From what Cloud had told about his past, Zack and Aerith were the closest family he had. Squall wanted to make a good impression on the two people that Cloud cared about most in the world.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Squall reassured as he tugged uncomfortably at the black on black pinstripe button up he was wearing. His red tie was lying crumpled in his lap along with his black and gray argyle sweater-vest that Cloud had made him take off. The man had said it was more of a casual dinner and so the top two buttons of Squall's collared shirt had been undone and the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. Another studded belt was added to his dark wash jeans and his dress shoes were traded in for a pair of black trainers.

Squall thought he looked a little like he was going to a club, but he hadn't said anything when Cloud had redressed him. It was just Cloud's wave of getting rid of all the nervous energy he had and he didn't blame the man. He knew Cloud wanted everything to go smoothly for the night. "At least it won't be like the first dinner at Cid and Shera's house when you came over."

Cloud smirked and some of the tension drained out of him. "Yeah," he said with a faint leer. That was a good time and hadn't Zack said Aerith was making pasta tonight? "You're right." He pulled into his friend's driveway and parked his car. "Thanks for the reassurance." He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Squall's lips.

"Well, let's get this little get together over with," Cloud sighed as he unbuckled himself. He straightened his navy blue dress shirt and threaded his fingers through Squall's when the teen came around the car, before walking up the neatly designed stone pathway.

Squall gave Cloud's hand a reassuring squeeze when Cloud rang the doorbell, and the man smiled gratefully. He didn't know why he was so worried after all.

There was a loud screech on the other side of the door before it was flung open. Cloud was momentarily blinded when a flash went off. "Oh you guys look so cute! Zack, you didn't tell me Squallie was such a hottie!"

Cloud was aghast as he was pulled into his friend's house by an overexcited Yuffie with a camera. He could hear more raucous laughter inside that sounded like way too many people to just be Zack and Aerith. He shot an accusing glare at the man when he was forced into the dining room. "You said it would be just you and Aerith," Cloud hissed at Zack, looking around at the large dining room table where everyone was seated at. Even Grandfather Merlin was sitting in the corner snoozing away, apparently back from his travels in Egypt.

Zack shrugged before directing a fond smile at Aerith. "Aeri wanted to invite a few people and how could I say no to her?" He bent down to scratch the ear of his dog Nanaki who was lying under the table. "I didn't think you'd mind."

Cloud was going to kill his ex-best friend. He sat next to Squall on one side with Vincent and-what the hell?-Professor Sephiroth on the other. The way that silver haired bastard was looking at Vincent, Cloud had the sneaking suspicion those two were involved. It made him vaguely ill thinking of his cold hearted professor in any way romantically involved. However, that _did_ explain the easy assignments the past month.

A feminine voice cleared their throat and Cloud finally noticed Yuffie, Tifa and Aerith seated directly across from him with identical expressions of pure evil on their faces. "So Cloud, when are you finally going to grow a pair and marry Squall? I like the kid already and it would be unfortunate if we had to plan a funeral instead because someone decided to fuck things up," Tifa said sweetly with a hard glint in her eyes.

Cloud wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor as the first round of rapid fire questions started. "I hate my life," he muttered as Tifa and Yuffie grilled him on his sexual performance while Aerith started to dish out the home cooked lasagna. A hand lightly settled on his groin beneath the table, and Cloud felt a rush of heat go through him when he caught the mischievous look from Squall out of the corner of his eye. He leaned back in his chair, watching as Squall answered question after question politely with a straight face while his hand worked magic under the table.

Cloud sat through the rest of the five hour interrogation without a single complaint after that.


	8. Bitter

Cloud leaned against Fenrir while he idly polishing his goggles with the end of his shirt. It was a Friday and he thought he'd pick Squall up from school on his motorcycle. His kitten hadn't looked all the excited when Cloud had shown his boyfriend his most prized possession. However, he knew a little spin on his baby would make Squall change his mind. And okay, it didn't hurt that kids were looking at his bike with unconcealed awe. The phrase 'too cool for school' came to mind and he snorted and rolled his eyes. He really had to stop hanging around the twins so much.

"Cloud!" an excited voice called out clear across the parking lot.

The man only had a minute to brace himself before Sora took a flying leap and latched onto him. He let out a silent chuff of air as the teen collided with his chest. That kid was heavier than he looked. "How's it going, Sora?" he asked, patting the brunet on top of his spiky head. Cloud gave a nod of acknowledgement at Roxas who had followed his twin at a more sedate pace.

"Fine," Sora chirped, giving a quick hug before sticking a hand into the pocket of Cloud's leather jacket. The older male always had a treat for him and it was usually kept in the breast pocket. A delighted smile lit up Sora's face as he found two pixie sticks which he immediately gave one to his twin.

"What are you doing here?" Roxas asked. He nodded thanks and took the cherry candy from his brother and tore off the end of it. Cloud was usually gone with Squall as soon as the last bell rang, so it was unusual to find the man still waiting around five minutes after that fact.

"Thought I'd take Squall for a spin." Cloud gestured towards the sleek black helmet strapped to the back. He had bought it for Squall after the brunet had insisted he wouldn't go anywhere near the motorcycle without proper protection, let alone ride it. Cloud didn't really mind since it gave him an excuse to dress up Squall in more leather. The jacket he had picked out for the teen made it extremely hard notto pounce on his boyfriend every chance he got.

"Do you know where he is?" Cloud questioned. Squall had always been on time for everything, a habit Cloud was trying to break the brunet out of but hadn't succeed as of yet. He slid his hand into the pocket of his jeans for his phone and flipped it open to see if he had missed a text message. The screen came up blank and Cloud frowned. It wasn't like Squall to be late without at least mentioning where he would be.

Sora bounced on the balls of his feet as he made faces at himself in the shiny surface of the motorcycle. "Dunno. The last I heard he was talking with Principle Ansem. Something about why Squall was always late to class and looked like he had just got into a fight." He stuck his tongue out and wiggled his eyebrows, oblivious to the embarrassed look Cloud was sporting.

Roxas thoughtfully gnawed on the end of his pixie stick. He liked to savor the taste unlike his hyperactive brother who had dumped the entire contents in his mouth and looked ready to bounce off the walls. He hadn't missed Cloud's look and he took a sort of perverse pleasure in embarrassing the man. Call it pay back from all those times Cloud had brought over Yuffie when he babysat. What a nightmare that had been. "Perhaps you shouldn't be fucking our dear brother so hard?" he deadpanned.

Cloud was not blushing, especially not in front of a punky 15-year-old who shouldn't even know the first thing about sex. The older male cleared his throat, hiding an amused twitch of his lips behind his hand. "Get out of here you little punks," he shooed with a wave of his hand. "I'm sure Zack would like for you guys to try out a new flavor of ice cream he's been working on."

Sora fairly beamed as he spun around on his heel. "All right!" he crowed, pumping his fist in the air. He _loved_ being a taste tester for AVALANCHE and Zack's new flavors were always good. "Bye Cloud. C'mon Roxas, let's leave Cloud to molest our Squall on his own time." He gave a cheeky look at Cloud before taking Roxas' hand and taking off down the road with his twin in tow.

Cloud sighed in fond amusement at the twins while running a hand through his spikes. There was no mistaking they were Cid's kids even with their angelic faces. Little terrors.

"Hello Cloud," Squall greeted.

Cloud felt a thrum of excitement go through him. He looked forward to showing Squall his bike and what his baby could do. And if his kitten got a little scared and held on tighter to him should they go a little above the speed limit, well, who was Cloud to complain? Motorcycles _could_ be dangerous after all and Cloud would allow Squall to hold onto him as tightly as he wanted to.

"Hey baby, where have you been? I missed you," Cloud purred while turning around to show Squall how much he missed him, preferably with a lot of tongue. The small smirk melted right off his face when he noticed who Squall was walking with. His mouth fixed into an imitation of a polite smile. "Who's your friend?" That bitch had her hands all over _his_ Squall.

The girl smiled and held out a hand while her other arm was linked through Squall's. "Hello, I'm Rinoa. Squall's told me so much about you."

Cloud gave her hand a brief shake before dropping it in favor of crossing his arms over his chest. He knew Squall was giving him a disapproving look, but he couldn't help his feelings. Squall wasn't even putting up a protest that someone other than Cloud was touching him. "Really? I must say Squall hasn't told me anything about you," he murmured.

The girl gave a tinkling laugh that normally Cloud would have found cute but for some reason just put him on edge. "Ah, that's just like my Squally," she said fondly while patting Squall's arm. "He wasn't much of a talker even when we were dating."

Cloud was going to open his mouth to no doubt give a scathing comment but Squall interrupted, shooting a look at Cloud. "Rinoa, I have important matters to do right now," he gently hinted at the girl. He was not going to allow Cloud to cause a scene.

Rinoa smiled and ruffled Squall's hair. "That's just like you, Squall. All work and no play. You haven't changed a bit." She reached up onto her toes and gave the brunet a quick kiss on the cheek. "You have my number; call me later so we can catch up. I want to hear all about what's been going on with my Squally after all these years." She gave a sweet smile at Cloud and waved. "It was nice meeting you Cloud. We should talk sometime."

"Yeah…" Cloud said neutrally, watching as a sleek limo pulled up and that bitch got inside, giving another little wave before the limo drove away. As soon as the limo was out of sight he turned to Squall with his eyes narrowed in an angry glare. "Who the hell was that?" he snapped.

Squall's mouth pressed into a thin line as he looked up at Cloud. "What's your problem?" Cloud had never been so rude before, and he had never reacted so badly to one of his friends. Squall was pissed at the way the blond had treated one of his oldest friends and just a little hurt. Sure, Rinoa was sort of annoying, but Cloud didn't have to be impolite to her. "That's my friend you were just insulting."

Cloud looked outraged. " _My_ problem? Well excuse me if I have a little problem when your girlfriend is pawing all over _my_ boyfriend. Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Rinoa is my friend and I expect you not to insult her," Squall fairly hissed, clenching his hands by his side. He had known Cloud was possessive with jealous tendencies but this was just ridiculous. Rinoa hadn't even done anything to make Cloud act this way. She was just a little clingy and Squall had long learned just to let her do what she wanted. They were _friends_ ; she didn't mean anything by it. "And since when do I have to report everything I do to you?"

"Because you're mine," Cloud stated as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. He sighed at the angry look Squall was giving him, not wanting to argue anymore with the teen when he had other things planned for the day. "Look, I just don't want you hanging around your ex-girlfriend, okay baby? So why don't you stop your hissy fit and we'll get going. I was going to take you for a ride on my bike since it's such a nice day out." He tossed the black helmet to Squall. Almost immediately the helmet was hurled right back at him.

"You are such an overbearing bastard," Squall said raggedly, stormy blues eyes blazing with furious tears as he spun around on his heel.

Cloud quickly dropped the helmet in favor of going after Squall. "Hey baby, where are you going?" he asked, worry welling up within him as he caught Squall's arm.

"Don't!" Squall snapped, jerking his arm out of Cloud's grip. "Don't even talk to me until you realize I'm not an object that you own."

Cloud wanted to reach out and try to stop Squall but with the signals the shorter male was giving out, he knew he would most likely lose an arm in the process. "Baby….kitten…Squall?" he called out in a confused tone, wondering what exactly he had done wrong and feeling apprehension coil tightly within him. "I'm sorry." Isn't that what Squall wanted him to say? "You know I care about you."

Squall's footsteps slowed but they didn't stop and he didn't turn around, missing the lost look on Cloud's face. "Yeah," he agreed quietly as he walked away, leaving Cloud to stand in the parking lot alone, "and that's why it hurts so much."


	9. Chocolate

Squall wasn't moping; he was perfectly fine after his little fight with Cloud. In fact he hadn't thought about the blond at all since the six days, fifteen hours, ten minutes, and thirty-two seconds he had last seen Cloud, but who was counting? Certainly not him. Not at all.

So what if he had been holed up in his room blaring music from his speakers? He had to study and the music helped him concentrate. And the pile of used tissues that were threatening to overflow his trashcan? Well that was just his allergies acting up. So really, Cid shouldn't grumble and Shera didn't have to give him sympathetic glances and the twins certainly had to stop whatever they were scheming. (Because Squall knew _exactly_ what kind of looks the twins got when they were planning something after having been on the receiving end one too many times.)

There was a muffled thump on the other side of his door and Squall raised a brow in question, turning down his music just as the twins burst into the room. They had a determined look on their faces and Roxas' eyes had an unusual glint in them that didn't bode well for the elder sibling. "What's going on?" Squall asked blandly as he pushed back from his desk chair to regard the pair.

Sora coughed and clasped his hands together while he adopted a solemn expression similar to his twin's. "Squall, we love you," he began and Squall knew he was in for another one of the twin's plans.

"You're our brother," Roxas added, casually walking over to sit on the edge of Squall's desk.

Sora nodded and stood on the other side of Squall. "But you have to stop moping-"

"I'm not-" Squall began to say with his brow furrowed in annoyance.

"-and stop acting like a prissy little bitch," Roxas cut in forcefully, finishing his twin's thought. He was never one to mince words and Squall could tell there was Cid's influence in that.

Despite how much he cared for the twins Squall was quite affronted, and he glared at the duo that was double teaming him. "I'm not moping, and I'm not acting prissy," he protested, giving a pointed look at Roxas. "Cloud was the one who-"

Roxas snorted and waved off whatever Squall was going to say. "Yeah, yeah. Cloud can be an ass," he said flippantly, popping his gum.

"But he's your ass," Sora added in helpfully at the cross look on Squall's face. He didn't want to make his brother angry. He just wanted his brother to get over himself and see how good he and Cloud were together.

"Technically, Squall is Cloud's ass," Roxas said thoughtfully while rubbing his chin.

"That sounds so wrong," Squall muttered, flushing in embarrassment as he dropped his head down on his desk. The last thing he wanted was for his younger brothers to be talking about his sex life. "Look, I get it. I'll stop brooding if you two stop pestering me. I have homework to do."

"Yeah, because you're getting so much done," Roxas said dryly and picked up Squall's anthropology book that had little motorcycle doodles in the margins. He ignored Squall's indignant squawk when he tossed the book across the room. "Oh, you were done anyway," he said and hopped off the desk.

Sora tugged on Squall's arms. "C'mon, turn that frown upside down and get out there to kiss and make up," he said enthusiastically.

Roxas helped by tipping Squall out of the desk chair. "Because Cloud hasn't been to work and we haven't gotten any free ice cream," he added.

"It's good to know your priorities are in order," Squall responded dryly, giving in and allowing the twins to pull him out of his chair. Maybe he had overreacted a bit and the twins _did_ say Cloud hadn't been coming into work. Perhaps Cloud missed him as well.

"You know, our plan went a lot better than I thought it would," Sora commented as he trailed after Squall.

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, we didn't even need Axel to tie you up."

"What?" Squall asked aghast, turning around to stare at the twins. Just then the closet door burst open, and Squall nearly jumped out of his skin as the aforementioned redhead appeared with an armful of bungee cords. "What are you doing?" he screeched, tripping over his own feet as he tried to get away from the redhead.

"Sorry kid, I gotta get back in Roxy's good graces," Axel said, not looking the least bit sorry as he lunged at Squall with a cat-like smirk.

"Axel! Abort, abort!" Sora said while frantically waving his arms around as the man chased after the older brunet. Roxas just laughed from the safety of the corner of the room as a scuffle broke out ending up with Squall tied up and pinned under Axel.

"Don't worry Roxy and twin, I'll deliver your brother in one piece," Axel said proudly. He hauled the squirming bundle over his shoulder with relative ease.

"Just be careful with our brother," Roxas barked out, wiping stray tears from his eyes. He might as well let Axel have his fun and it wasn't like Squall would be too mad once he was free.

Axel beamed. "Of course Roxy." He swung around and accidentally nailed Squall's head against the door, knocking the poor teen unconscious. Axel managed a weak smile at the twin glares of doom coming from behind him. "Uh….oops?" he said meekly before quickly high-tailing it out of there while trying not to bang Squall's head on any more objects.

* * *

 

Cloud woke up in a different place than where he had gone to bed. It also felt like someone was slowly crushing his head in, but he attributed that to the colossal lump on the back of his head. It didn't take three guesses to figure out he'd been knocked unconscious, no doubt by Tifa who had seemed rather upset with him. She had found out about the little tiff he'd had with Squall and she hadn't been too happy when he hadn't brought Squall home for dinner recently. This was probably her revenge, but Cloud didn't see the point aside from the fact he was tied up and apparently somewhere cold judging by the way his ass felt like it'd been carved of ice.

A sneeze echoed in the room and Cloud sat up in curiosity, scanning his surrounding area to find… "Squall?" That was most certainly his kitten huddled up against the far wall while rubbing the side of his head. "What are you doing here?" He hadn't seen the other male who had been hidden by the stacked crates of food.

"I could say the same thing about you," Squall answered, wiping his running nose with the sleeve of his shirt. He had woken up to find Cloud still out cold on the floor across from him. The other male didn't look that good, his hair was a mess and his clothes looked like they had been frequently slept in. There were bags under Cloud's normally bright blue eyes and Squall thought Cloud hadn't slept in a week. Maybe the blond had missed him after all.

"Tifa attacked me," Cloud said, getting up from the floor and popping the kinks out of his spine. He jammed his hands in his pockets to keep them warm as he meandered towards the door. "She doesn't like it that we're fighting."

Squall grimaced. "Yeah, well neither do the twins. They had Axel kidnap me." He had to remember to give the twins a lecture about employing people for kidnapping as soon as he got out of here. Couldn't they have done normal teenager stuff like throwing water balloons and playing appalling amounts of video games?

Cloud grunted, looking out the frosted window to see where he was. "Don't bother, the door's locked," Squall said as he watched Cloud jiggle the freezer handle. "I don't think we'll be getting out of here anytime soon until our friends say so."

The man exhaled in a puff of air while squinting through the window. "Yeah, but if it's anything like AVALANCHE, then there's bound to be a safety button." Because he had no doubt they were locked in Omega Coffee House storage rooms. They always had an anti-locking device for such occasions. His fingers skimmed over the cool metal door before they encountered the little red button off to the side. He shot Squall a triumphant grin as he pushed the button.

The lights flickered before a disco ball dropped down to the center of the room and started to slowly rotate to the beat of some cheesy smooth jazz music. Squall could only watch appalled as colored lights flashed softly around the room and a rain of silver confetti floated down from the ceiling. There was a crackling sound and a high pitched screech that had Squall covering his ears before Yuffie's voice came over the loud speakers.

 _"Hiya Cloudykins and Squally,"_ she giggled and Cloud's eye twitched violently. _"You two morons can't seem to get over yourself so we all thought it would be a good idea to give you a little push in the right direction."_

"You call locking ourselves in a cooler to freeze ourselves to death a good idea?" Cloud snapped while glaring at the speakers, but of course Yuffie didn't answer as the pre-recorded message kept playing.

 _"So you two better kiss and make up if you want to get out of here. Don't worry, we left you some provisions."_ She cackled with laughter again before the recording shut off, leaving only the smooth jazz to still play.

Squall buried his head in his arms. "Great, I'm going to die of hypothermia," he grumbled, his ears tinged pink in embarrassment at his friends' intervention. There was a shuffling sound before Squall felt a warm body pressed up against him.

"Of course not, we'll get out of here," Cloud soothed and wrapped his arms around the smaller male. It felt nice finally hold the teen again and Cloud didn't know how he had survived without him.

Squall reluctantly settled into the embrace and rested his head on Cloud's shoulder. They didn't speak for awhile and let the music play in the background. Despite the forced intervention, Squall was happy to be with Cloud again.

"Cloud?"

"Squall?"

They both started at the same time and they stopped, both feeling embarrassed. Cloud cleared his throat, pulling back a bit to look Squall in the eyes. He sighed before starting again. "Look, I'm sorry for-"

"No, I'm sorry," Squall cut in, knowing what Cloud was saying but wanting him to understand. "I didn't-"

"You were right; I shouldn't have made a big deal-"

"Well I was acting like a-"

They stumbled over their words, trying to be heard over the other one in an attempt to apologize. "I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, finally coming to an end of their fumbled apology. They both gave a quick smile at each other, feeling as if a knot had loosened up inside of them.

"Yeah," Cloud trailed off quietly, giving Squall a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah," Squall echoed, giving Cloud a shy smile.

"So...how are we going to get out of here?" Cloud asked after awhile. It wasn't like he didn't enjoy spending time with Squall in his arms. He just didn't like freezing his ass off while doing it.

Squall shifted in Cloud's hold, lifting his head to look around the freezer room thoughtfully. "Well, Yuffie did say she packed some provisions for us." He pulled out of Cloud's arms to look around the room.

"Oh joy," Cloud mumbled and rolled his eyes. He already missed the heat from Squall. "It's probably nothing that'll help us get out of here." But he got up as well and started to look around. His foot kicked a brightly wrapped box when he walked to the far end of the room where the ice cream was stored. "Found it," he called out.

"What is it?" Squall asked curiously. He unabashedly admired the view when Cloud bent over to open the box.

Cloud chuckled as he looked in the box, closing the lid shut when Squall tried to take a peek. "What day is it?" he suddenly questioned, turning around with a smirk as he hid something behind his back.

Squall took a step back, knowing the look that was snaking across Cloud's face. It was the completely wrong time for it. "Um, Sunday. Why?"

"Well then, let's not let this opportunity go to waste," Cloud answered enigmatically before he held up a can of whip cream and a tub of chocolate ice cream.

Squall raised his eyebrows as he felt anticipation heat up within him. "A Squall sundae?" he asked dryly as he thought back to Cloud's fantasy from earlier.

"Less talking, more clothes removal," the other male demanded, tugging Squall into a searing kiss. "Why, you're cold dearest. Let me help warm you up," he purred and pushed his kitten up against the wall.

"I don't think that ice cream would-" Squall was cut off as Cloud kissed him again, but he didn't mind and made a little noise of agreement. Cloud's touch was hot against his skin as the taller male started to unbutton his shirt to press his palm against his chest.

"Shh," Cloud murmured against a graceful neck. Squall shivered as Cloud's fingers trailed sticky ice cream marks down his chest. "You did promise to try something a little daring," Cloud whispered against the shell of Squall's ear, grinning wickedly before dipping his fingers back in the tub of chocolate and painting Squall's lips with it.

Squall dazedly thought that chocolate ice cream wasn't so bad after all before Cloud did something really interesting with the can of whip cream, and he couldn't really complain about being locked in the freezer.

Well, except for a very pissed off Vincent who found the highly satisfied and sticky pair a couple hours later.


	10. Sweet

Cloud pulled at his spiky hair in frustration. "Why is it so hard to pick out a ring?" he growled and glared at all the silver and gold glittering rings displayed before him. He didn't know what he had expected asking Zack what to get Squall for their sixth month anniversary. Actually, Cloud wasn't even aware people celebrated a sixth month but Zack had insisted. Then again, the man had celebrated _every_ month with Aerith so maybe Cloud shouldn't be taking advice from his love-sick friend.

"What about this one?" Zack asked and held up a delicate gold ring with emeralds inlaid into the band. "It's elegant with entwined vines etched into it and the stones really capture the color of his eyes." He held it up to the light and watched how it glittered and sparkled.

The blond huffed and rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to throw something at Zack. "Squall's not a girl," he muttered, even though he often teased the teen otherwise. "And his eyes aren't green."

"Well what about this one?" Zack held up something with diamonds and some little pink crystals Cloud couldn't name. "He wears a lot of pink and-"

Cloud wanted to bang his head down on the glass display counter. "Stop thinking of Aerith!" he snapped. "Look, this isn't working. I don't think getting Squall a ring is the best choice. He wouldn't wear it anyway." The brunet had a habit of wearing leather gloves and he worked a lot with his hands; a ring would get scratched and possibly get lost. He needed something durable and….and manly that showed how much Cloud cared about him. That what he felt for Squall was strong and wouldn't fade away. None of these rings showed that.

"Sorry Mr. McDuck, I don't think I'll be getting anything today," he apologized to the expensively dressed old man. The owner made a disgruntled sound that sounded distinctly duckish to Cloud as he put the tray of rings away.

Zack slapped Cloud on the back as they exited the store, giving the shorter man an encouraging smile. "Hey Spikey, don't worry about it. We'll find something for Squally and he'll be yours forever." He grinned and slipped his hands into his pockets while they walked down the narrow cobbled street. "Why I know this perfect dress shop, kinda upscale and pricy, but it's worth it called Fairy Godmother's."

There was no help for Zack whose mind was permanently stuck on Aerith and Cloud just rolled his eyes skyward. "Hey, didn't Aerith ask you to help her in the garden today?" he interrupted his friend who had once again gone off praising his wife's virtues.

Violet eyes widened and Zack hastily waved goodbye to Cloud. "Uh, you're right. Gotta go help my Aeri," he called out and beat a hasty retreat the other way towards his house. "Good luck on finding something for Squall."

"Yeah…" the blond muttered. It was a nice day out so Cloud aimlessly wandered around town. His class had been cancelled today (Vincent hadn't been at work either) and Zack had given him the day off. School was still going on and Squall was locked away for a couple more hours before he could molest the teen, er- hang out with the teen, so Cloud had nothing to do. Well, except agonize over the fact that he couldn't think of anything to get his kitten.

His feet eventually carried him down the winding, narrow streets to what was known as The Underworld. Nightclubs and seedy bars lined the streets interspaced with pawn shops and gambling dens. The buildings were crumbling and windows were either boarded up or fashioned with bars to keep trespassers out. Sunlight never penetrated the dank depths as if in fear of the gloom that crowded around the mouths of alleys and cast long twisting shadows on the streets.

Cloud wasn't too bothered by it having spent a good portion of his teen years working odd jobs for Hades just to scrape by and make a living. It almost felt like an uneasy home walking among the addicts and run down working class all trying to survive.

A shop on the corner of the street caught Cloud's interest. There was nothing to distinguish it from the other blacked out window shops with faded signs. Yet Cloud would know the place anywhere even before he heard the low thrumming music seeping under the door. The owner of Hide Away Cove had an uncanny ability to know what a customer wanted and always had just the right solution.

There was a reason why rumors circulated that Ursula was a witch.

* * *

Squall frowned reflexively when he reread the quick text message Cloud had sent during his last class. 'We need to talk.' Those four little words didn't bode well and his heart clenched up in worry. Rinoa had said that right before she had broken up with him. Truthfully he had felt a sense of crushing relief. He had thought he loved Rinoa, but it had turned out to be a family kind of love (and also around that time he realized he was gay). He liked to think he had matured since then and grown wiser. He knew he loved Cloud, but maybe the other man didn't feel the same way. Could he have misjudged another relationship so badly?

Cloud's apartment wasn't that far from the school, but Squall was still surprised that he had arrived so quickly. He pressed the buzzer for Cloud's apartment. "I'm here," he said into the intercom and stood back.

He pulled his leather jacket closer around his body to ward off the slight chill of autumn while waiting for a response. It smelled faintly of Cloud's aftershave and motor oil from the many hours Cloud would spend fixing up Fenrir. If they… if they broke up would Cloud want it back? Maybe he should have left it at home just so he could hold onto some memory of the best six months of his life.

A beep sounded followed by the click of a lock unlatching to allow Squall in. Usually Cloud would be waiting right at the foot of the stairs with a smile and a heated kiss. As much as Squall protested it he actually didn't mind all that much. The teen sighed and squared his shoulders before he made his way up the flights of stairs to Cloud's apartment. If this was really the end then he would face it strong and head on. That façade didn't last long when he saw Cloud pacing outside his door. The threadbare carpet actually had track marks from where the man had repeatedly walked over it.

"Did you lock yourself out of your apartment again?" Squall asked by way of greeting. It wouldn't have been the first time the man had done it. The teen had vivid images of waiting for Zack to come over with a spare key while he and Cloud had clung to a bath towel to cover themselves. Well, more like he had because the shameless blond had absolutely no modesty.

A wide grin stretched across Cloud's face, but it didn't hide the anxiety hiding in bright blue eyes. "Squall, baby, I didn't hear you come up. How was school?" His hands were clasped behind his back and the teen thought he saw something.

"Fine," he murmured and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are we standing out in the hallway?" Seeing Cloud on edge was putting _him_ on edge and Squall didn't know if he could handle too many surprises. He leaned against the corridor wall for support to try to stop his legs from trembling.

"I thought we could talk out here." The man ran a hand through his blond spikes that made it stick out at odd angles. "Okay, well see, the thing is – you got my text message right?" he broke off and glanced up at the brunet. He waited for Squall to nod his head cautiously before continuing. "Yeah, so I thought maybe, you know Zack said around this time some things are inevitable and I got to thinking. About things." He fidgeted uncharacteristically that was unlike his usual in control, laid back manner.

Squall swallowed and tried to will away the tight ball of pain forming in his chest. "Are you…breaking up with me?" he asked quietly, unable to raise his voice above a whisper.

A pained expression formed on Cloud's face and he dropped his head against the wall. "Shit…all right I'm not doing this right. Fuck," he muttered to himself. He scrubbed a hand across his face before suddenly thrusting a sleek velvet box into Squall's hands. "Here."

Squall fumbled with the box and tried not to drop it. He tugged off one of his leather gloves before carefully opening the case. Shock robbed him of speech at the beautiful necklace nestled against the soft white velvet interior. He carefully took out the heavy silver y-chain necklace to get a better look at the pendent dangling down from a chain. It was a lion's head, mouth pulled back in a fierce snarl and mane flowing behind it that reminded Squall of flames. It sat atop an exquisitely carved Celtic cross that ended in a sharp point.

"As soon as I saw it I thought of you," Cloud said to fill the heavy silence. "I call you my kitten but you're more like my lion, strong and proud and courageous. I thought it was better than any stupid ring. It's also durable and won't wear over time just like my love for you." He nervously watched Squall flip over the pendant and could visualize the words inscribed on it: _To my lion forevermore._

Cloud tapped his fingers together and shifted from one foot to the other, unsure of Squall's reaction. "I was told it's called Griever, but you know if you don't like it you could rename it. Or take it back. I could actually go right now if you wanted and-" his babbling was cut off by an armful of Squall who was fiercely kissing him.

"I love you too," Squall said breathlessly between kisses. His arms were wrapped around Cloud's shoulders, one hand clutching the necklace while the other held onto the back of the man's hoodie. He was so overwhelmed with emotions that he didn't care if Roxas made fun of him later for being emotional like a girl. "It's perfect."

Strong arms wrapped around a slender waist as Cloud squeezed him back. "I knew you would like it," he purred, self-assurance back in his voice. He spent a pleasurable amount of time coaxing little sighs and rumbles of pleasure from the teen, tongue slipping past cherry red lips to sneak a taste. He shuddered when a hot little mouth nipped its way up to his ear and warm breath ghosted against the shell of his ear.

"Why don't you take me inside and I'll put the necklace on me and nothing else?" Squall's voice was like sin incarnate and Cloud wanted him _right now_. Except reality crashed around his ears when Cloud fumbled behind him for the door knob that refused to budge, and he remembered why they were having this conversation out in the hallway in the first place.

His ears burned in embarrassment and it was really hard to stop Squall from grinding against him in an interesting way. "Could I take a rain check?" he asked and set the brunet down on his feet. The teen looked at him in befuddled sexual desire, and Cloud was very seriously thinking about busting down his door. "I locked myself out of the apartment in my rush to greet you."

Squall's amused laughter rang down the hallway and he rested his head against Cloud's shoulder. Being with Cloud may not be perfect, but he wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
